Ben Rhodes presents sequel of 2021 Truck Series championship antics with title-winning top-five at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. — It happened again, Mama Jamas.

Ben Rhodes became a two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion with his fifth-place finish at Phoenix Raceway on Friday night. After four overtime restarts in an ugly season finale at the desert oval, Rhodes held off Grant Enfinger on the last lap to maintain the title-clinching position when the checkered flag waved.

Rhodes’ career has been kept afloat, and then some with ThorSport Racing. It was less than a decade ago that the industry considered him to be a future NASCAR star. He raced 10 times with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series yet only earned one top 10. That was in 2015, and he has not competed in the series since then.

Between the end of the 2015 season and now, though, he’s made the Truck Series playoffs six of the last eight years. And in the three most recent seasons, he has not finished worse than second in the championship.

His press conference after the 2021 title became an instant classic as he had a healthy, err, unhealthy dose of liquid courage in his system. His animated media availability featured him imitating truck noises, humorously describing his thoughts as the race transpired (including the now infamous “ain’t happenin’ Mama Jama” line, and pointing out the embarrassment on his wife Caitlynn’s face throughout the presser.

For what it’s worth, this reporter asked Caitlynn how much she think he drank in the time between the checkered flag waving and the start of the press conference. She said he had two beers, but she didn’t say anything about champagne or other liquor consumption, which almost definitely occurred, too.

Allison Thorson, the daughter of ThorSport team owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson and her family’s team advisor, suggested on Friday night that Rhodes set high expectations for what was to come during the 2023 truck finale. And not just about his abilities behind the wheel.

“I think he has more to live up to in his press conference than the race,” Thorson joked.

Before Rhodes entered the Deadline Room, his crew chief Rich Lushes told the press that he believed the newly-crowned champion to not be inebriated yet.

“Right now, he’s still sober, so that’s a good thing,” Lushes said.

About 10 minutes later, Rhodes, with a backward championship hat, goggles, and a Flava Flav-esque chain around his neck, walked onto the stage where Lushes was sitting and poured Bud Light down the back of his shirt.

Thus began the sequel to one of the most memorable press conferences in NASCAR history.

Rhodes’ 2021 presser was like a new and superb movie with an interesting story that gets the crowd entertained. His 2023 presser was like the sequel that was still decent but not as great as the first because it felt kind of forced and didn’t have the same originality. He still ensured he got his one-liners in, though, such as “Mama Jama,” and even introduced a few new comments.

“Dinosaurs aren’t real,” he said.

Now, if you know anything about religion, particularly Christianity and Judaism, you’ll know that such a statement could have led to a messy and cringy press conference. Luckily, it didn’t, and he kept the ball rolling with another message a few minutes later and more comical in nature.

“I love some cows,” he said when mentioning his love for steak.

Rhodes perhaps tried a little harder to entertain the room full of reporters on Friday night. At some point, before speaking to the media after the celebration, he rewatched his press conference from 2021 and kept the upcoming one in a similar fashion.

Rhodes is in a good place in his career. He’s made a home for himself with ThorSport, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be departing any time soon. He’s only 26 years old, and although it might not be in the foreseeable future, a step up the NASCAR ladder to the Xfinity Series or Cup Series could be plausible with his resumé and youth.

“I’m just trying to go and win races,” he said. “… I’m just excited to be racing in the Truck Series. I love the Truck Series. It’s fast, it’s crazy, the races are short. We’ve got young guys who are full of exuberance, and they do crazy things.

“And then you’ve got guys like — well, I guess me, Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton.”